The present invention relates generally to lap siding, and more specifically to a tool for installing lap siding.
Lap siding is a common type of siding for buildings. Lap siding refers generally to siding in which multiple pieces of siding are attached to the building in a partially overlapping fashion. More specifically, a first piece is attached at the lower extent of the face of the building to be sided and then additional pieces are attached above it, with each additional piece at least partially overlapping the piece below it. The distance from the bottom of a piece to the bottom of the piece above it is referred to as a xe2x80x9creveal.xe2x80x9d A reveal may also be defined as the height of the siding piece less the amount of overlap by the piece installed above it, or more simply, the vertical or generally vertical portion of each siding piece that is seen after installation is complete. Mechanical fastening of siding pieces to the face of a building is most commonly achieved through the use of a pneumatic nail gun or similar device that may be operated with one hand.
A challenge when installing lap siding is to create uniform and level reveals, while at the same time addressing the occasional need to intentionally vary reveal sizes by incremental units to correct for any number of construction variances, such as if the ends of a building vary slightly in height or a window has been installed out-of-level. Another challenge is the ability to hold a siding piece properly and firmly to prevent slippage during mechanical fastening. Further, siding installers face the constant challenge of having to carry and use many individual tools, such as a level, straight edge for marking lines, hammer, tape measure, etc., which tends to be cumbersome and hazardous, particularly when working on scaffolding.
One common installation method used to achieve the desired reveals described above is to manually mark lines at taped intervals at each end of a previously fastened siding piece. The next siding piece to be installed is then aligned visually and hand-held during mechanical fastening. A disadvantage of this method is the added installation time required to measure and mark lines for each siding piece. In addition, measurements and markings of lines, as well as visual alignment of siding pieces to said lines, can vary from person to person, from one end of the piece to the other, and from piece to piece, thus introducing cumulative errors of scale and human error resulting in non-uniform reveals and siding pieces installed out of level. Furthermore, this method requires the installer to hand-position and hold each piece of siding during mechanical fastening, which can result in inadvertent slippage or movement of the siding.
Another installation method is to use blocks of wood, cut to the desired reveal size, as spacers that two installers can hold at each end of a siding piece, with the bottom of the block aligned with the bottom of the previously fastened piece and the top of the block providing a surface upon which the next siding piece can sit during mechanical fastening. Disadvantages of this method are that individual blocks of wood can vary in length, are susceptible to shrinking and swelling due to differences in moisture content, and deform after repeated use due to the wearing of the edges of the seated siding on the top of the block, all of which contribute to the aforementioned cumulative errors. In addition, the use of blocks as spacers requires the visual alignment of the bottom of the block with the bottom of the previously fastened piece of siding, and further introduces human error, especially because different individuals will be visually aligning each side of the lap siding. Further, while providing a seat for a siding piece to be installed, this method does not prevent lateral movement (outward from the building face) of the siding and can easily result in vertical slippage relative to the previously installed piece of lap siding, thereby requiring two hands to hold the siding piece and block in place.
Existing tools and devices for installing lap siding are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,473,100, 4,484,392, 4,425,714 and 5,408,757, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. However, the devices disclosed in such patents, while somewhat useful when employed by a single installer, consist of tools that are of substantially fixed structures and which have proven to be inconvenient for rapid and efficient use. The devices are relatively complex in structure, are difficult to remove once a siding piece is fastened, and have a tendency to break or damage the siding during removal. The present invention provides a tool that is relatively simple in design, does not remain fixed to the siding after fastening, and yet can be used for the rapid, accurate and convenient installation of lap siding by two or more installers.
The present invention provides a tool that assists in installing lap siding. The tool includes a body having a handle and a pair of vertically spaced-apart seat assemblies that define a seat distance therebetween. The lower seat assembly is adapted to engage the lower portion of a previously installed siding piece, and the upper seat assembly is adapted to support the lower portion of a siding piece to be installed at the determined reveal distance relative to the previously installed siding piece. The reveal distance is at least substantially defined by the seat distance. In some embodiments, the tool enables two or more installers to with one hand properly hold and provide for level alignment of the piece of lap siding to be installed, while at the same time enabling the installers to mechanically fasten the same with the other hand. In some embodiments, the tool is adjustable to accommodate a range of reveal sizes.